Wilderness is a wonderful
community, but it is isolated. One would have to be going to
Wilderness in order to find it. In my travels to Wilderness from my
childhood home near St. Louis, we would approach Wilderness after leaving
Van Buren in Carter County. Take highway J south off of Hwy 60.
Turn right on K. When the pavement ends, you are in Wilderness!
If there has been a lot of rain, however, you may not make it that far.
Just before Wilderness is a low water bridge crossing Hwy K. If the
water is up it will be several miles to Wilderness via another route.

During my earliest
memories, there were two general stores. One being owned by my great
uncle Clyde Simpson. The store was located next to their house and had
the old style gas pumps out front. I'm sure there are many pictures of
this store, someone will have to send me one! The second general store, which stayed open
after Uncle Clyde's store closed, was the first building you saw as you came
into the community of Wilderness. Before you would go down the hill
where that low water bridge is on Hwy. K, you could see the store at the top
of the opposite hill. I know there were several owners of the store,
but in my memory, I only recall two: Walter Simpson and another great
uncle of mine, Jesse Foster. (Jesse was married to my grandpa Irvin's
sister Mildred.) As a kid, it made you feel special when a relative
owned the store. I'm not sure if my mom felt that way or not when she
was growing up and Uncle Clyde had the store. Eventually, the speed of
transportation improved and the size of the community dictated that there
was not enough business in town for a general store. It is sad, but
that is progress I guess.

Even though the stores
have not remained, two other staples of the community have: the old
schoolhouse (community building) and the church.

Wilderness Community
Building

The community building, as
it is called now, is where my mother attended school through the eighth
grade. Since closing as a
school, the building has served the community in many ways. It is the
gathering place after a funeral. (Wilderness cemetery lies up the hill
behind the building as we look at it here.) My mother and other ladies
in the community gathered here to quilt together for many, many years.
Presently there is a pool table inside and basketball courts out front.
There is even a soda machine!

Wilderness Freewill
Baptist Church

I was shocked to see the
church during my October 2004 visit to the community. They have a new
sanctuary! It is beautiful. The church has grown over the years
even though the community has done the opposite. That is truly a sign
of God's blessing! I have many memories of this church growing up.
During the summer I would spend a week or two at Grandma and Grandpa's house
and often it would be during Vacation Bible School week. I loved going
to church with my grandparents.

This church is a focal point in the
Wilderness Community. The cemetery lies next to the church. The
first Sunday of every June is Decoration Day. Following church, long
tables are set up next to the cemetery fence. Wilderness residents
present and past gather for food and fellowship. Growing up, I
attended several of these with my parents and grandparents. It was a
true potluck. The best cooking in the world! Everyone had
favorites that they looked forward to - for me it was Great Aunt Laura
Simpson's German Chocolate Cake! mmmmm!

Thinking back, I guess this really
was my first introduction to genealogy. We always joined Grandma as
she decorated the graves of family members in that cemetery. We were
always full of questions about who was this person and who was that person.

In 1990, Wilderness
Freewill Baptist Church celebrated 50 Years with the Cave Springs Freewill
Baptist association. A booklet was created with a church history and
photos. Read the church history HERE!